Smallbrook Stadium came alive on Tuesday (5th August) as fans gathered for an evening of tribute and top-class speedway.
The Steve Piper Memorial Trophy saw Isle of Wight Warriors, Cradley Heathens and Weymouth Wildcats deliver a night of drama and emotion.
Cradley started strong with a 5-1 win in the opening heat, James Shanes and Charlie Wood overpowering home favourite Ben Morley, whose bike failed early on. Weymouth’s Darryl Ritchings, loaned from the Warriors, proved unstoppable, storming to a blistering victory in heat two and setting the tone for his dominant night.
The Wildcats edged ahead in heat three when Mitchell Cluff pulled off a clever pass on Danno Verge. Moments later, Ritchings once again denied the Warriors a home win with another commanding ride in heat four. 15-year-old Ryan Ingram impressed the crowd in heat five with a stylish overtake to claim victory, temporarily putting the Warriors in front.
Cradley soon responded with maximum points in heat six thanks to the pairing of Shanes and Wood. Morley kept the Warriors’ hopes alive by winning heat seven, but the Heathens’ consistency meant the scores remained tight. Heat eight saw Weymouth’s James Laker deny the Warriors maximum points, keeping the contest balanced.
Ritchings continued his winning streak in heat nine, clocking another sub-70 second time. Cluff then added to Weymouth’s tally by taking heat ten. Despite a shared eleventh heat, the Wildcats remained in contention thanks to Ritchings’ relentless form.
Drama unfolded in heat twelve when a restart was required following a crash involving Charlie Wood. After remounting, Wood delivered a stunning ride to snatch second place on the final bend, but his night ended painfully when he crashed into the safety fence, suffering two broken fingers, possible rib fractures and a shoulder injury.
Weymouth edged ahead again in heat thirteen as Ritchings collected his fifth win. Shanes secured victory for Cradley in heat fourteen with a sensational outside pass on Morley, leaving the Heathens narrowly ahead going into the final race. The closing heat saw Cluff seal second place overall for Weymouth with a decisive win, while the Warriors fell just short.
Heathens boss Andy Hawthorne praised his riders for securing a second Smallbrook win this season. Warriors manager Martin Widman said it had been “a great night’s racing” and added the evening was about remembering their “great friend Steve”.
Presentations were made by Steve Piper’s son, who attended to witness the emotional tribute.
Final scores:
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Isle of Wight Warriors 28 – Ben Morley 9, Henning Loof 4+3, Jamie Halder 6+1, Ryan Ingram 9+1
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Cradley Heathens 33 – James Shanes 14, Charlie Wood 7+4, Nathan Hargrave 3+1, Danno Verge 9+1
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Weymouth Wildcats 29 – Darryl Ritchings 15, Sam Peters 1, Mitchell Cluff 10, James Laker 3
Earlier in the evening, fans also enjoyed the British JAP Championship, featuring vintage bikes from the 1940s to 1960s. Dean Felton won all his races to take the title, with Graham Knowler second and Keith Cornell third.
Smallbrook hosts more action next Tuesday with the annual Best Pairs event and the Women’s British Championship, with racing set to begin at 19:00.
